Coin freed franking machine



' Oct. 13, 1942. H. N. SOPER 2,299,042

COIN FREED FRANKING MACHINE Filed March 17, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR firace 4 Soper ATTORN EY Oct. 13, 1942. H. N. SOPER I 2,299,042

COIN FREED FRANKING MACHINE Filed March 17, 1939 Y 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY Oct. 13, 1942. H. SQPER COIN FREED FRANKING MACHINE Filed March 17, 1939 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 5 'INVE TOR Ce .joper aze glib; Ow%

ATTORNEY Oct. 13, 1942. H. N. SOPER COIN FREED FRANKING MACHINE Filed March 17, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 wk NM mm \|m mm. A

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ATTORNEY Oct. 13, 1942. H. N. SOPER COIN FREED FRANKINGMACHINE Filed March 17, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR fir ATTO.RNEY

Patented Oct. 13., 1942 COIN FREED FRANKING MACHINE Horace Nettleship Soper, London,

signor to Pitney-Bowes Postage Conn., a'corporation of Delapany, Stamford, ware Application March 17,

In Great Britain April 7,

England, as- Meter Com- 1939, Serial No. 262,364

Claims. (01. 101-"z1) This invention has reference to a machine for franking, i. e. printing a value stamp on letters or other postal packets, hereinafter referred to as letters, and has for its object to provide improvements whereby fraudulent operation of the machine is minimised and posting of the letter may follow automatically after franking so that the machine is particularly suitable for use by the public in such places as post ofiices. The invention also has for its object to provide a. simple arrangement for selecting a desired franking value, and so to construct th parts that ease of operation together with reliability is ensured.

According to this invention there is provided a coin-operated -machine for the franking of a value stamp on letters inserted therein, wherein a letter receiving opening through which a letter can be passed to the franking device, is normally closed by a locked door, and means i furnished by which the door is opened and the franking device is conditioned for operation upon the passage of one or more coins. These coins may be of like or unlike value, and will correspond to the value of the stamp to be franked on the letter.

Any suitable means will be provided to ensure that only coins deemed correct shall operate the machine.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and carried into effect, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, this embodiment including an arrangement for selecting three franking values, conveniently, a halfpenny, penny and three halfpennies in accordance with the existing rates of ordinary letters, but it will be clear that the constructional principles involved are applicable in general whether the machine will frank at only one value or more than three.

In the said drawings:

Figure 1 is an outsid pictorial view of the machine showing the front thereof, and drawn to a scale smaller than that of the remainder of the figures;

Figure 2 is a top plan view with the roof of the outside casing removed, and shows the general layout of the mechanism;

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV--IV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an inverted plan view of the machine.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view of the coin chutes and coin pockets with part in section and part in elevation;

Figure '7 is a plan view of the coin chutes;

Figure 8 is a detail plan sectional view showing the position of the adjustable letter thickness gauge when the letter slot door is open; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the connection between the door and adjustable wall of Fig. 8.

Door release mechanism The machine shown comprises an enveloping casing I in the front wall of which there is formed a letter receiving opening 2 which is nomally closed by a rectilinearly slidable door 3. The machine is operated by a handle 4 which together with the door is normally locked and is adapted to be released by a coin or coins inserted into the machine through a coin slot 5.

The door is locked by a pivoted catch 6 (see Figures 2 and 3 particularly) which engages an abutment l fixed on the door and said catch 6 carries a pallet lever 8 adapted to be rocked by an inserted coin, the catch being maintained in engagement with the abutment by a pair of springs 9 having their lower ends fixed to the pallet lever B and catch structure 6, and their upper ends fixed to a support So. Said springs 9 are so arranged as to balance the lever 8 accurately and. ensure proper tripping of the catch by a coin as it strikes the pallet in passing. The

door is held in the closed position against the action of a. spring In which at on end H is anchored to the casing and at the other end is connected to a rack l2 (Figures 3 and 4) secured to the door, the spring passing round a guide pulley I3 (Figure 2) fixed on a main cam shaft [4 which extends transversely of the machine.

The coin slot 5 (Figure 1) leads to a coin chute l5 (see particularly Figures 6 and 7) which has branches [6 or other suitablemeans which select coins according to their size and direct them to separate chutes l1. One of each of two pins l8-l8 project from the pallet lever 8 into each of the chutes l'|l| and are adapted to be struck by a passing coin. The weight of the coin will Operating mechanism lock The operating handle 4 (Figures 2 and 4 particularly) is secured to the cam shaft H which is normally locked against rotation by a pawl l9 which is pivotally mounted on a bracket 20 and which normally engages an abutment face 2| formed on a cam disc 22. fixed to the cam shaft l4 and thus both shaft and handle are locked by the pawl. Th paw1 I9 is provided with a tail 23 which lies in the path of a release rod 24 projecting inwardly from the door 3, so that as the door opens, the rod 24 strikes the tail 23 and rocks the pawl I 9 upwardly out of engagement with the cam disc 22. The handle is then free to be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figur 1, reverse rotation being prevented by a ratchet wheel 25 fixed to the cam shaft and co-operating with a second pawl 26, also pivotally mounted on the bracket 20. The cam shaft locking pawl I9 is loaded by a weight 21 so that when the release rod moves away from the tail piece 23 during reclosing of the door, the pawl l9 will ride on the surface of the cam disc 22 and will eventually drop into engagement with the abutment surface 2| when one revolution of the cam shaft has been completed.

Letter receiving compartment The main letter opening 2 (Figure 1) gives access to a compartment having a fixed wall 28 (Figures 2 and 4 particularly) and a movable wall 29 the inner edges of which wall form a second letter opening 3|! adapted also as a gauge for predetermining the thickness of a letter which can be passed to the franking device. The letter to be franked and posted is inserted through the doorway or letter opening '2 and along a guide 3| which leads to a movable seat 32 (Figure on which the letter is supported during franking. The compartment is of such dimensions, especially the depth from front to opening 30 that it' enables the hand of a person to pass a sufficient distance within the machine to ensure correct positioning of the letter in relation to the franking device. The construction and operation of the platform and letter gauge will be hereinafter described.

Franking printer selector The means for franking the received letter will its face of highest value facing the impression surface as shown. There is normally a space 38 between the impression member and the printing member, access to which is had through the sec- The cam disc 22 is just behind one of two feeler members in the form of push rods 4| connected at the opposite ends by means of links 42 each on one side of the axis 43 of the printing member 35, so that according to which push rod is moved the printing member is turned appropriately to select the required franking face 36. The push rods 4| are and letter opening 30 at the inner end of the pocket (of which the mouth is the aforesaid main letter opening 2 closed by the sliding door 3). Extending transversely of the carrier and at the end thereof opposite to the printer, is the cam shaft I4.

On the carrier, and mounted on pins 39a for sliding movement independently thereof, is a coin pocket slide or depository 39 into which the appropriate coin or coins fall. The coin or each coin falls from the appropriate coin. chute l1. and rests finally in the respective pocket 40 and mounted in a block 4|a secured in the carrier.

When the handle 4 and thereby the cam shaft H are released as before described, the handle is turned one complete revolution, and during the initial part of the latter, the selection of the required franking value as determined by the coin or coins inserted, is effected. For this purpose, there is fixed on the cam shaft 54 a cam 44 which co-operates with a spring pressed plunger 45, the head 46 of which bears against the cam and is connected by a spring 41, to the coin pocket slide 39, which connection provides for lost motion between the plunger and the slide. Thus if a coin is in each pocket of the slide, the slide will not move, the spring 41 being merely com pressed, since the coins, acting as interponent abutments, will press on the push rods 4| together, with the result that the printing member will be moved toward the impression member without adjustment of the value face. The type numeral on said face will represent the value of the two coins, and the received letter will thus be franked with this value. If however, one pocket of the slide is empty, there will be no abutment for the corresponding push rod, and accordingly the plunger 45, through its spring 41, will move the slide 39, and since the other pocket has a coin in it, this coin will operate on the corresponding push rod 4|, to turn the printer so that the required franking face comes opposite the impression member. The printing member 35 is turned against the action of a return spring 48.

Any suitable means may be provided for look ing the printing member in the selected position, and as a convenient construction there is employed, as shown (see Figure 5) slots 43 in the printing member 35 projecting radially inwards from the respective faces 33, the appropriate slot, according to the face selected, being adapted to ride over a fixed pin 53 as the carrier moves to effect franking by impressing the selected printing face against the received letter. A suitable inker ribbon or pad or other means will be provided for keeping the faces properly inked, and in the embodiment shown, an inker ribbon 5| is employed. This ribbon is carried on a spool 52, and passes across the face of the printer, being guided by rollers 53, and finally is wound on to a second spool 54, Fig. 3, which is furnished with a ratchet wheel 55. A pawl 56 mounted on the side of the carrier 33 engages the ratchet 55 to turn the spool 54 one step in the winding on direction each time the carrier moves forward to print.

Printing action After the selection, the carrier 33 is adapted I to be moved for printing, by a pair of similar rod continues bodiment shownthe device 58a consists of a pair of rods 58-58 each of which passes through side lugs 59 of the carrier, and has one end which, after the franking value selection, engages, through a roller 80a, the associated printer cam 51 under the action of a spring 68. Each of these springs acts between a side lug 59 and a collar 6| fixed on the rod 58. A second spring 62 is connected between a second collar 83 on the rod 58 and on the lug 59 of the carrier so that as the rods 58 are pushed by theprinter earns 51 towards the impression member 34, the carrier will follow the rods 58 to cause the selected printer face to press against the impression pad, the springs 60 and 62 then being compressed and lost motion taking place. Printing will be effected by an increasing pressure arising from the springs being compressed as the to move forward.

In the embodiment provision is made for a sharp impact printing as an alternative to pressure printing as just described. For this purpose, the following movement of the carrier, while the rods 58 are being moved forward by the printer cams, is prevented by a pawl 54 which is pivotally mounted in a bracket 65 fixed on the base plate 31, and which normally engages over a catch 68 secured to the carrier. A cam 81 secured on the cam shaft M is provided with a rise 68 which at an appropriate time in the cycle of operations, releases the pawl 64 from the catch 66, whereby the carrier shoots forward suddenly under the pressure stored in the springs 69 and 62 and the selected type face thereby impacts sharply against the letter to be franked. After printing and during the finishing portion of the revolution of the operating handle 4- which constitutes one operating stroke-the carrier will return to the initial position shown, by reason of the energy in the springs 68 and 82 which, as the printer cams recede from the rollers 83, cause therods 58 to move backward until the collars 8i strike the adjacent carrier side lugs 59, whereupon the rods and the carrier will move together. The initial position of the carrier is determined by a suitable stop 69 fixed to the base plate 31, as best seen in Figs. 3 and 5.

Door closing mechanism During the aforesaid operations, the door 3 has been closing and will be closed when the letter has been franked. For this purpose a snail cam 19 (Figures 2 and 4) is fixed to the cam shaft M, and is arranged to push the door closed against the action of the associated spring 10, immediately after the operating handle is turned. The cam 19 acts through a rack and pinion device comprising a rack 1| mounted in a guide 12 which is fixed on a bracket 13 supported by the base plate 31. The rack II has a roller 14 (Fig. 4) at one end with which the cam 19 contacts, and through a pinion 15 and a toothed sector 16 is coupled to the rack l2 which is secured to the door 3, the pinion 15 and sector 15 being coaxial and fixed to the same spindle 1'! (Fig. 3) which is rotatably supported by the bracket 13.

Mailing arrangements The posting of the letter is conveniently effected by the closing of the door, the received letter being supported during franking on the seat 32, Figures from beneath the letter, gives access to a suitable franked letter receiving compartment M, i. e. a mailing box. The seat 32 is adapted to 4 and 5, which, when removed be slid from under the letter after franking and during the final closing of the door, by an extension 18 (Figures 2 and 4 particularly) of the release rod 24 which'is carried by the door. Thus the franked letter will fall into the mailing box. During the opening of the door with the next coin insertion, the seat 32 will again move into the letter supporting position. The seat 32 is pivoted at 19 to the underside of the base plate 31, and is normally urged by a spring 80 into the letter supporting position. The spring 88 is anchored at 8| to the base plate 31 and is connected to the end of a rod 82 which projects laterally from the pivoted seat 32. This rod has on the top and 'jection 89 (Figure 4) an upward terminal portion 83 which projects through a slot 84 in the base plate into the path of movement of the rod extension 18 so that as the door is on the point of being fully closed, the latter engages the terminal portion 83 and pushes the seat 32 aside into the inoperative position shown.

Letter thickness gauge To prevent letters being jammed in the second or inner letter opening 30 (see Figure 2) so that they will not fall upon removal of the platform 32, the door is adapted to increase the width of theletter opening 30 as the door closes, and to contract the said opening to a gauge limit as the door opens. To this end the pocket is provided with the movable wall 29, which is a swinging member carried at the inner vertical edge 85 between two links 86 which are pivotally mounted bottom plates 81 of the pocket. The edge 85 of the movable wall 29 forms one edge of the letter opening 38 and gauges the thicknessof the letters, whilst the opposite edge 88 of the movable wall cooperates with a proon the door so that as the door opens the movable wall 29 is swung rearwardly to cause the gauging edge 85 to move towards the stationary edge of the opening 30 thereby to reduce the effective size of the opening and provide a gauge of letters. Towards the end of the closing movement of the door the projection 89 swings the movable wall 29 forwardly to increase the size of the opening 39 to that shown in Figure 2. Thus, if a letter has been forced into the reduced opening 30, it will be cleared by this increase of size of the said opening.

Operation The operation of the machine may be briefly summarised as follows:

The coins corresponding to the value to be franked on a letter are inserted in the coin slot 5. These coins in the embodiment shown may be a halfpenny or a penny, and the coin selection devices comprised in the coin chute branches l6 are so constructed that the particular coin inserted is directed to the proper coin chute and coin pocket in the coin slide or depository 39.

When the coin or coins is or are inserted, the first coin through either chute l6-l1 (Fig. 6) will engage a pin 18 on the pallet lever 8 and rock the said pallet lever 8 and the catch 8, (Fig. 3) whereupon the door will be released to open under the action of the spring it. As the door moves to its fully open position, the release rod 24, by engaging the tail piece 23, trips the pawl l9 so that the handle 4 and thereby the main cam shaft 14 is released and thus conditioned for operation. Thereafter, the handle is turned in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 1, and a sequence for maximum thickness v of operations takes place which results in franking and posting of the letter inserted, through the letter openings 2 and 30, to the franking device, Firstly, selection of the appropriate type face 36 in accordance with the value of the coins or coins put into the machine is eifected as previously described with reference to the selector cam 44, and thereafter the printer cams 51 come into action to cause the carrier and thereby the printer member 35 to shoot forward under the action of the compressed springs 60 and 62 so that an impact impression of the selected value stamp is made on the letter located in'between the printer and the impression pad 34. During the forward movement of the carrier 33, and after the-printer 35 has been locked in the selected position by the pin-and-slot mechanism 49-53, the coin or coins drop out of the depository 39 through a suitable slot in the base plate 31. Whilst the franking operation proceeds, the door is closing (Figure 1 shows this condition of affairs), and while the printer carrier 33 is returning to the normal position as the handle is completing its revolution, the letter supporting seat 32 is withdrawn from the operative position by the door 3 so that the franked letter falls through to a mailing compartment and is thereby posted.

Upon the completion of one revolution, the handle 4 will be locked by the pawl is engaging the abutment face 2| of the cam disc 22, and the door 3-which is now closed-is locked by the trip catch 6 falling in behind the abutment 1.

The machine is now in a condition for another franking and posting operation, which may again be eifected upon the insertion of further coins.

In the embodiment illustrated, there is printed in addition to the value of the required stamp, the date of printing, an adjustable date stamp 90 being mounted on the printer carrier 33 for this purpose.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a letter printing machine, a postage printing device, a casing enveloping said machine and printing device and having a compartment therein within which a letter may be inserted on edge to a position for printing, a movable supporting seat for said letter, said compartment having space to permit the entrance of a hand when inserting a letter, letter engaging means within the compartment spaced to restrict the thickness of a letter which is inserted therebetween to a printing position, means to relieve said restricted spacing during a printing cycle 7 of operation, and means to remove the supporting seat from beneath the letter, whereby the letter is released to drop into a receptacle below said seat after printing.

2. In a coin released letter printing machine, a postage printing device, a casing enveloping said machine and printing device and having a ends after printing,

compartment therein within which a letter may be inserted on edge to a position for printing, a movable supporting seat for said letter, a latched self opening door normally obstructing passage to said letter compartment, means freeable by an inserted coin to efiect release of the latch and consequent opening of the door to expose the letter compartment, said compartment having space to permit the entrance of a hand when inserting a letter, letter engaging means within said compartment spaced to restrict the thickness of a letter, means to relieve said restricted spacing during a cycle of operation, and means to remove the supporting seat from beneath the letter, whereby the letter is released to drop into a receptacle below said seat after printing.

3. In a coin released letter printing machine, a postage printing device, a casing enveloping said machine and printing device and having a normally inaccessible compartment therein within which a letter may be inserted to a position for printing when accessible, means freeable by an inserted coin to provide access to the letter compartment, said compartment having space to permit the free entrance of a letter, letter gauging means within the compartment spaced to restrict the thickness of a letter which is inserted therebetween, and means to increase the spacing between the gauging means after printing.

4. In a coin released letter printing machine, a postage printing device, a casing enveloping said machine and printing device and having a normally inaccessible compartment therein within which a letter may be inserted on edge to a position for printing when accessible, means freeable by an inserted coin to provide access to the letter compartment, said compartment comprising walls spaced to permit the entrance of a letter and converging at their inner ends to a restricted width for limiting the thickness of letters passed therebetween, and means to increase the spacing between said converging ends during a printing cycle of operation.

5. In a coin released letter printing machine, a postage printing device, a casing enveloping said machine and printing device and having a normally inaccessible compartment therein within which a letter may be inserted on edge to a position for printing when accessible, a movable supporting seat for said letter, means freeable by an inserted coin to provide access to the letter compartment, said compartment comprising walls spaced to permit the entrance of a hand when inserting a letter and converging at their inner ends to a restricted width for limiting the thickness of letters passed therebetween, means to increase the spacing between said converging and means to remove the supporting seat from beneath the letter, whereby the letter is adapted to be released into space below the seat after printing.

HORACE NE'I'I'LESI-HP SOPER. 

